Thread guide device



Feb. 21, 1967 R. KOCH THREAD GUIDE DEVICE Filed Nov. 50, 1964 United States Patent 3,304,958 THREAD GUIDE DEVICE Robert Bernhard Koch, Zurich, Switzerland, assignor to Grob 8: Co. Aktiengesellschaft, Horgen, Switzerland Filed Nov. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 414,909 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Nov. 29, 1963,

7 Claims. (Cl. 139-96) This invention concerns a thread guide device, for example a heddle or a drop wire for a warp stop motion; Throughout this specification heddles only will be referred to for the sake of simplicity but it should be appreciated that this is not intended to limit the invention since the inventive concept can be applied to any thread guide device in which it is necessary to provide means for spacing same from an adjacent similar device. It is known that heddles may be manufactured from fiat rolled steel wire or flat steel strip and that such heddles, in use lie close together with their faces adjacent to each other when they are located on heddle carrying rods. It is disadvantageous for the heddles to be so disposed since when the heddles are actually in face to face contact they are covering each other up and when for example they are galvanized they can impair or in places even prevent an even application of a rust preventive coating. A further disadvantage lies in the fact that difficulty can be experienced When drawing-in the warp threads either by hand or machine, inasmuch as the heddles are difficult to separate from each other quickly.

Attempts have been made to eliminate these disadvantages and various methods have become known. For example, every second flat steel heddle has been slightly bent above its lower end loop. Thus by alternately positioning straight and bent heddles an interspace is created. This arrangement has amongst other things the shortcoming that no interspace is provided in the area of the upper end of the heddle. In a further similar arrangement at least every second heddle is slightly bent once or twice in the region of the thread carrying eye. Both of the arrangements referred to have the disadvantage that bending through the small angle necessary makes it ditficult to achieve uniformity.

It is also found that if pressure is applied to the heddles in a longitudinal direction of the heddle carrying rods, the heddles tend to bend and the interspacings'are narrowed if noteliminated. The heddles are fonud to move with every shed change due to warp movement and in a heddle frame having a high density of heddles there is in addition a continuous lateral movement of the heddles, these movements also tend to eliminate or reduce the required heddle spacing. v

It is also known to provide lateral protrusions in the body of the heddles adjacent the end loops. These protrusions are formed in a known manner by oil-setting a relatively short part of the heddle relative to the longitudinal axis thereof. If such off-set is only provided in one direction the protrusions of adjacent heddles must be staggered along the length of the heddle to prevent nesting of the heddles. If the off-set is provided in opposite directions with relation to the longitudinal axis of the heddle nesting can result due to turning of the heddles, around their longitudinal axes, alternatively double spacing may result due to two protrusions abutting each other. It was also necessary to ensure that the protrusions should not be identically shaped to ensure that protrusions would not nest into each other. The arrangement described above, has the disadvantage that it is necessary to carry out two forming operations on each heddle and to ensure that the formations differed from each other. It is also necessary to arrange the heddlesin pre-deterrnined order protrusion is consequently no longer fully in alignment with the main part of the heddle.

3,304,958 Patented Feb. 21, 1967 on the heddle carrying rods since if two or more similar heddles are placed adjacent to each other the off-set or protrusions are not effective due to the possibility of nesting." A further known arrangement is to connect two heddles together in spaced relationship. One of the two heddles is provided with protrusions pointing outwardly. This arrangement serves to some extent to maintain spacing and only one type of heddle is required. It is found however that if such heddles are located on the heddle carrying rod andare incorrectly positioned relative to each other, that is by having two protrusions in contact double spacing exists between'some heddles and no spacing exists between others. A further disadvantage of such heddles lies in the fact that manufacturing costs are generally higher than is the case with single heddles and thus the arrangement is not suitable for general use. Further in the known arrangements the heddle is in its entire cross-section bent out of the main plain to form the protrusion. As a rule the part of the heddle adjoining the Such a heddle has the disadvantage that the end loops thereof which adjoin the said protrusions, are silghtly slanted and thus the heddles may easily become irregularly spaced on the carrying rods. Irregular spacing can have an unfavourable effect in an automatic drawing-in machine when the foremost heddle has to be separated from the remainder. A further disadvantage lies in that relatively wide spacing surfaces are formed which rest on neighbouring heddles and thus when the heddles are being galvanized there is a tendency for parts of adjacent heddles to be covered and thus not galvanized. In addition, a warp thread running between two heddles is, when the shed changes, capable of being subjected for a short-time to jamming. As is known the heddles are usually slightly slanted relative to the warp threads and thus in this arrangement the warp threads move over a relatively heavily corrugated surface, as a result of this heddles can get into unsteady movement.

It is thepurpose of the present invention to provide a heddle which does not suffer from the shortcomings mentioned above. According to the present invention a thread guide device made from strip material such as is shown in FIG. 3, US. Patent 1,517,129 of 1924 and having, in order'to maintain a pre-determined distance from an adjacent device of similar form, at least one protrusion thereon, characterised in that the or each protrusion is formed by local displacement of material such that the displacement'does not extend over the whole width-of the strip. 1 1

The invention will now be described further, by wayof example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of several heddles located on heddle carrying rods, the heddles being provided with protrusions situated near the upper and lower end of each heddle,

FIG. 2 shows the protrusions of the heddles of FIG. 1 to a larger scale,

FIG. 3 is a cross-section on the line Il.IIII of FIG. 2;'

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a modified type of heddle,

FIG. 5 shows the protrusions of the heddles of FIG. 4 to a larger scale,

FIG. 6 is a cross-section on the line VI--VI of FIG. 5,

FIG. 7 is a plan view of an enlarged fragmentary portion of said strip.

FIG. 1 illustrates a plurality of heddles 1 the loops 2 of which are arranged upon heddle carrying rods 3. The centre part of the heddles, as well as the heddle frame which receives the heddle carrying rods 3 have been omitted for the sake of simplicity. Adjacent the end loops 2 on both faces of the heddles 1 there are provided protrusions 4.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the form of the protrusions, references 4a and 4b, and the manner in which adjacent protrusions abut. The required heddle spacing between the faces A of the heddles 1 is achieved by forming the protrusions 4a and 4b in such manner that each protrusion is of a thickness corresponding to one half of the spacing distance required.

As can be seen from FIG. 3 each protrusion is formed in a manner such that there is provided a cavity 5a and 5b bounded by a rim 6a and 6b which latter are formed on the flat faces of the heddle 1. The rim 6a or 6b is conveniently formed by a pressing operation and the shape of the rim and the cavity can be chosen to suit any particular users requirements.

FIG. 4 illustrates a plurality of heddles 7 of modified form each of which is provided with laterally open end loops, as are used for riderless heddle frames. The heddles 7 are shown with their open end loops 8a and 8b positioned on heddle carrying rods 9. For the sake of simplicity the centre part of the heddle, with the yarn eye, has been omitted. Adjacent the upper end 100p 8a of each heddle 7 there is a one-sided protrusion and adjacent the lower end loop 812 is a further one-sided protrusion 11. The protrusions are formed on opposite faces of the heddle 7.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the form of the protrusion 10, the protrusions 10 are of identical form, and as can be seen each protrusion is of the same thickness as the spacing required between adjacent heddle faces A of the heddles 7. As can be seen from FIG. 6 the protrusion 10 is formed by the pressing-in of a cavity or recess 12 in the heddle 7. The cavity or recess 12 is smaller than the surface of the protrusion 10 and thus it follows that the protrusion 10 of one heddle cannot enter into the adjacent cavity or recess 12 of an adjacent heddle.

Since the heddles of riderless weaving harnesses, due to their laterally open end loops, cannot slide past the known holders of the heddle rod 9, it is only necessary to ensure that the heddles 7 are placed on the rods 9 in the same disposition and direction to ensure that the protrusions 10 and recesses 11 and recesses 12 abut one another so that the protrusions engage the recessed faces of the heddles 7 to obviate the possibility of double spacing.

A one-sided protrusion 10 or 11 can be formed by a pressing operation in a suitable press similar to that used to form the protrusions 4a and 4b of the heddles of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 but having differently shaped diefaces.

In a modification of the arrangement of FIG. 6 the cavity 12 is in the shape of a truncated cone in order that a protrusion, also in the shape of a truncated cone, can partially enter into the recess or cavity. In this arrangement when the heddles are moved in relation to each other the protrusions emerge from the cavity and consequently the distance between the heddles is increased.

Heddles made in the above described manner have the advantage that the surface area of the protrusions can be kept small. Since the protrusions can be kept narrower than the width of the heddles, the straightness of the heddle is not impaired. If the weaving shed extends beyond the protrusions the warp thread is unaffected since, contrary to known heddles, the shape and form of the narrow edge of the heddle is not altered. Since the protrusions formed on the heddles do not take up much space they can, if necessary also be arranged at the outermost ends of the heddles, that is beyond the slot adapted to receive the heddle carrying rods 3 and 9 respectively. In such an arrangement the protrusions are completely out of the area of the weaving shed.

It is a special advantage that, contrary to the previously known heddles formed of one flat steel strip, one single heddle form sufiices, so that in each case the total width of the heddle pile remains unchanged irrespective of the succession and position of the relative heddle to each other. The form of protrusions of FIGS. 1 to 3 has the additional advantage that the distance between the heddles remains unchanged irrespective of the position of the heddles, that is with the heddles turned through about their longitudinal axes.

By eliminating the necessity to manufacture two forms of heddle savings can be made not only when manufacturing the heddles but the personnel assembling the weaving harnesses no longer have to arrange the heddles in any special sequence or to align incorrectly placed heddles, which is a time-consuming task. Losses of time resulting from incorrect assembly of the heddles are also avoided.

The heddles can of course have one, two or more of such protrusions, which are arranged in accordance with the technical requirements of any particular user, in addition the protrusions can be used in heddles the end loops and body portions of which are not made of one piece. Instead of flat steel the weaving heddles can also be manufactured from any other suitable material. Furthermore drop wires for warp stop motions can be provided with such protrusions.

What I claim is:

1. A thread guide comprising a metal strip, at least one integral pressed metal protrusion thereon, said protrusion being adapted to engage an adjacent thread guide device to provide a predetermined spacing of adjacent thread guide devices, and said protrusion being of such dimensions as to lie within the confines of the whole width of the metal strip.

2. A thread guide device as set forth in claim '1 in which there are two protrusions, one protrusion being formed on one face of said strip of .material and the other being formed on the opposite face, the said protrusions being located directly opposite to each other.

3. A thread guide device as set forth in claim 1 in which there are two pressed metal protrusions formed on opposite faces of said strip of material and being aligned.

4. A thread guide device including a metal strip, for use as a heddle, two pressed metal protrusions on said strip and aligned on opposite faces thereof, said protrusions each including a depression bounded by each said protrusion as base area of said depression at least being of smaller cross-sectional area than the cross section of said protrusions whereby pro-determined spacing of adjacent devices may be achieved, each said protrusion being of such dimensions as to lie within the confines of the whole width of the said metal strip.

5. A thread guide device as set forth in claim 4 in which said depressions are circular in form.

6. A thread guide device as set forth in claim 4 in which said protrusions are frustoconical in form.

7. A thread guide device including a metal strip for use as a heddle, two pressed metal protrusions on said strip of material located on opposite faces thereof and misaligned, two depressions in said strip of material on opposite faces of said protrusions, one depression being aligned with each said protrusion, the cross sectional area of each said depression in the base area at least being smaller than the cross section of said protrusions whereby pre-determined spacing of adjacent devices may be achieved, each said protrusion being of such dimensions that it lies within the confines of the whole width of said metal strip.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 698,123 4/1902 Mahoney 139368 1,970,175 8/1934 Kaufmann 13996 1,246,002 11/1917 Hathaway 139--96 1,517,129 11/1924 Ruegg 13993 1,970,175 8/1934 Kaufmann 13996 2,426,456 8/ 1947 Kaufmann 13996 X 2,949,936 8/1960 'Wagner 13996 MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

J. KEECHI, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A THREAD GUIDE COMPRISING A METAL STRIP, AT LEAST ONE INTEGRAL PRESSED METAL PROTRUSION THEREON, SAID PROTRUSION BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AN ADJACENT THREAD GUIDE DEVICE TO PROVIDE A PREDETERMINED SPACING OF ADJACENT THREAD GUIDES, AND SAID PROTRUSION BEING OF SUCH DIMENSIONS AS TO LIE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE WHOLE WIDTH OF THE METAL STRIP. 